Spring-tension regulator.



J. BABE-R;

SPRING TENSION REGULATOR.

APPLIUATION 11pm) JUNE 11 1903.

1,005,780"; PitentdOct. 10, 1911.

. -To all whom it mag lineman:

. zen of theUnitecl State Blufl, Missouri. haven-m :UNITEDJSQ TEiP FFJOSEPH RABER, OF POPLAR BLUFF, MTSSOURI, ASSIGNOR'TO DALTONADIDIhTGMACHINE COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI. A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

SPRING-TENSION REGULATOR. v

Be it known thatlifJosErn Risen, a citi- 'esiding at Poplar fented a newand useful Spring-Tension?egulator,' of jtythich the, following isaspecifi g'a tion.

.I w. i increased or reduced at wallfand ltCQIlSIStS of the novelconstruction, cqn'lbinatiogi and arrangement f'i'aarts herein shown,de-.

scrlbed and claimed. I I One ob ect of the inventlon ist'o produceme'ans op'erable in""connection with sprlngs, of either-the retractlleor expansion type, to ncrease or reduce the power of such springs to anydesired extent.

Another object is to produce an element adapted to encircle the springand having projections, such asth'reads, to project between the coils ofthe spring whereby, when said element is rotated, the spring willbeexpanded or contracted as required to adjust the spring to anydesiredpower of expansion or contraction. In any construction theregulating means constitutes the attachment for one end *o'fi thespring. A device of this charactei' is 'yery useful .in manycombinations, su'clr as' wfl-ith the spring-actu-v ated' parts of'all'kindsfot machinery, en ines;inotors,"sewing machines, etc., and intypeiyiiters' in which embodiment I have shownit, for regulat ng thetouch and rebou ndhof the. key levers, typebars, etc., after operation;and another object of the invention isto produce improved means for fuse in such combinations whereby the tension 'oftlre restoringspringsiof the difierent partsmay be adjusted uni-iiormly to anydesiredwdegree otexpanslve or retractlle power. In ithe"accompanyingadrawing forming part of this specification", Figure 1 is M1illustration of a train of typewriting mechanism showing my inventionembodled therein. Fig. 2 is an enlarged View partly in sectionillustratingthe regulating means.

Fig. 3 is an end View ofthe hollow element which" encircles the springand const tutes the adjustingora'egulatmg dev1ce. 1 1g; 4

is a view or the tensioningdevice appliedi {I t M M .draWm'gJ-Mthscrew-threadsnit as obv1ous that fiD YPI'Oj-QCUOIIS for engaging theconvo Spectficatiim of Lettersratent. Patented Oct."10-, 1911.Application filed June 11, I

1908. Serial No. 437,332.

the embodiment shown; is a i'etractil e An eye or hook 2 is formed onone end of the sprmg, and is intended to be engaged .with a similareyefor hook 3 on the member 4 which is the member to begactuatejd by theI t r spring. Specifically themember. 4 is a ThlS invention relates tospringtensionv regulators of the type iriiwhich the the h or actuatingpower of the spring maybetypewriter key-lever which is .pivqted at 5lags a buttonor terminal. 6. for well "understood"purposes. ,A link 7connects the end of the lever 4 with a type-b21138 which, has pivotalextensions Qoperating in bear- .type-bar efi'ectivelyto cause; the type11 at theend thereof to record on paper supported by or against theplaten 12. In this embodiment of the invention the spring 1 is connectedto the key-lever 4 intermediate of its pivot 5 and the link 7 so thatthe spring acts to return the type-bar, and thereby the entire train, toidle position after each operation. f

13 indicates a stationary member whereby one end of the spring is held.An internally threaded member 14 is held-in a hole in said member 13.-The spring 1 screws into the member 14, the threads or projections 15"therein engaging with the convolutions-of the spring. These projectionsor. threads are preferably'of attenuated form so asto en-. gage snuglybetween the spring coils, though itis obvious-that they may be of anykind or, form which will engage-'w'ith the spring to operatez-aspresently described. A flange 16 on the, member l tibears against theface of the support 13 'to-prevent the member 14 from beingdrawn throughthe hole in which it mounted. The periphery or edge'of the flange '16.is preferably polygonal so that a wrench may be engaged'therewithtotturnthe member 14. lt-is'robvious that turping the member 14in onedirection will extend or draw out thespring l, and consequentlyincreasethe tension thereof, While rotation of the member 14- in the oppositedirection will-*contract the spring andreduce the -;ten sion thereoffbothradjustments being eflected while the spring isin engagement withthe lever. and without winding tighter or un- -windin'g the spring"coils to "any extent.

I hile the member 145 isshown-inthe ings in a supporting bracket-1 0,.Depression of, the front end. of the lever't operates the a The bearingsurface of the flange 16 may be corrugated or spotted, as shown at 17,the better to hold it against accidental or undesirable turning. Ifdesired a matching or enga ing element 18 may be formed on or attachedto the member 13, though under ordinary conditions these features are'probably unnecessary.

I An obvious modification of the device would be to apply it to a pushor expansion spring. In Fig. 4 I have shown such an adaptation ormodification of the invention. In this adaptation the spring, indicatedby 19, is ofthe expansion type, and screws into threadedengagement withthe member 20 which is provided with internal threads 21 of suitablepitch and contour. The member 20 is provided with a flange 22which'engages with an element 23 on the support 24 25 to preventaccidental turning or loosening of the said member 20. It will be notedthat this adaptation or modification of the invention consists in areversal of the member 14 (Fig. 2) so that the flange 16 (Fig. 2)

will be pressed or pushed against the support by the expansion power ofthe spring instead of being drawn against'the support by .the retractilepower of the spring. The

member 20 (Fig. 4) may be manipulated,

' I 55 the sameas the member 14 (Fig; 2), eflec-.

tively to adjust or regulate the tension of the spring to any. desiredextent, thereby enabling the user to adjust a series of such 5 rings toan exact and uniform tension t roughout'. In the case of expansionsprings any suitable spring support or holder, such as shown at 25, maybe utilized to connect the springto the actuated element.

It will be noted that the important funckeysywhere exact uniformity oftension (to regulate the touch) is desired. By this device the touch ofall the keyscan be regulated with exactness, thereby enhancing the valuelit-these features.

I am aware that revoluble adjusting members have been used in connectionwith springs; but none which can be operated to adjust a spring withthedesired accuracy and exactness from the minimum to the maximum. Y I V Iam also aware that there may be many variations in theconstruction,combination and arrangement of the parts cpmpriging the inventionwithout in the least departing 66 from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

distant from said threaded member and the opposite end screwed into saidmember, substantially as specified.

2. The combination of a support having I a hole therein, aihollow membermounted in said hole and being revoluble with respect to said support, aflange on one end of said member bearing against said supportin idleposition, and a spring of the helical type having one end supported at apoint distant from said hollow member and its opposite end extendinginto and connected to the interior of said hollow member, substantiallyas specified. 3. The combination of. a support havin v a hole therein, amember revolublymounted in said hole in said-support, a projection'on isaid revoluble member in engagement with said support in idle position,a helical spring having one end connected with said revoluble member andthe oppositeend supported remote therefrom, and means hold- Ing saidrevoluble member against accidental rotation, substantially asspecified. 1-00 ft. The combination of a support, a coil spring havingone end supported remote from said support, a tubular member heldpermanently against said support and en circling several coils of saidspring connection between'said support'and tubular member whereby saldtubular member will be held from accidental displacement, and threads insaid tubular member engaging with thecoilsiof said'spring, substantiallyas specified.

5. The eombinationtof a support, a member revolubly supported by saidsup ort, means holding sa d revoluble member om becoming disengaged fromsaid support, a helical spring having one end connected with saidrevoluble member and the opposite end supported remote therefrom, andmeans holding said revoluble 'member against accidental rotation,substantially as 0 specified.- i

6. The combination witha spring of a support, an internally-threadedmember encircling and engaging said spring, bearing against saidsupport, and being operable effectively to vary the tension of saidspring, and means holding said member, in position against said support,substantiallylas specie I 3 I 7. The combination with a spring, of asupport, and a hollow member having interlocking connection with saidsupport and being held by such connection. from becoming displaced, saidhollow member encircling and engaging a part of said spring, and beingoperable to vary the tension of said. spring, substantially asspecified.

8. The combination of a support, a spring having one end supportedremote from said support, a tubular member incasing a part of saidspring, bearing against said support, "and being operable effectively toextend or compress said spring to any desired extent, and meanspreventing displacement of said tubular member from its proper positionagainst said support, substantially as speci- 9. The combination with aspring, of a support, a hollow member incaslng part of said spring andextending into said support said hollow member engaging a ainst saidsupport, substantially as specific 10. The combination with a spring, ofa support having a hole therein, a hollow member incasing a part of saidspring and ex tending into said hole effectively to prevent said memberfrom moving laterally on said support, a pol gonal flange on oneend ofsald member aving a corrugated surface bearing against said support, andan element on said support arranged to engage said corrugated surfaceeffectively to prevent accidental rotation of said member, substantiallyas specified.

I In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my signature to thisspecification this 4th day of June, 1908, in the presence of twowitnesses.

JOSEPH RABER. [L.'s.] Witnesses J. H. Hoovnn, Ner'rm WINSTON.

